Adventures in genealogy

Z is for Żyrardów

Completing the Family History Through the Alphabet Challenge… Z is for Żyrardów! There was never any doubt what I would use for the letter “Z” – Żyrardów is a town in the Mazovia region of Poland from which my Pater great-grandparents came. It was also the very first town in Poland that I “discovered” in my family history research, so it holds a special place in my heart. In addition, it is the very first ancestral town in Poland that I visited!

I’ve written about Żyrardów before, most notably in my post entitled Żyrardów: Birth of a Modern Town. Although the town is rather modern by European standards with a “birth date” of around 1831, I’m fascinated with the town’s history. The history is interwoven (pun actually intended) with the textile industry – an industry with which I now work indirectly. My ancestors helped Żyrardów become the largest producer of linens in the entire Russian Empire by the end of the 19th Century.

Spinning cotton in the Żyrardów linen factory (date unknown)

This weekly challenge has been wonderful and I’d like to thank Alona Tester of Gould Genealogy for creating this challenge. Later this week I will post more about what I learned from participating and some ideas I have as a result of participating.

5 Responses

What a wonderful post for “Z” Donna. It’s the first town which you “discovered” when researching your family history… and now it brings to a close your successful completion of the Gould “Family History Challenge”:-) Seems most “fitting” to me, some how.
Looking forward to reading your reflections. Many thanks…

That’s a nice way to end the series. My Polish ancestors came from a number of communities, but they came together in Żyrardów and I was also able to visit there. A nice place to visit and have ancestors from.